Diving Boards: Repair Tips

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How to Fix a Slippery Diving Board

If you’ve noticed that your diving board has become slippery and unsafe, then you may want to consider refurbishing it instead of replacing it. When it comes to how to fix a slippery diving board, you need to re-install traction to the board before anyone can start using it again. You don’t want to risk injury with any of your pool guests, and prevention with the right repairs is the key to avoiding any problems. It's much cheaper than installing a brand new diving board, and it's simple to do yourself!

Diving Board Repair Tips:

1. Remove the Diving Board First. To make the repair process easier, consider removing your diving board before applying the traction spray. This way, you won’t risk any of the spray damaging your clean pool water.

2. Take Off All Old Paint. Before you can utilize the diving board traction spray, you must remove the old layer of paint that is currently covering board. Purchase a putty knife and observe all safety procedures when scraping off and removing the old layer of paint. Always aim the knife AWAY from you at all times to be safe.

3. Sand the Surface. If you notice that there is some leftover paint on the diving board, take some sandpaper (preferably 120-grit) and thoroughly sand the remaining paint chips. Be sure the surface is smooth and that all leftover paint is properly removed from the area.

4. Make it Stick! You want your new coat of paint to stick without a hitch, so sand it again with stronger sand paper. Consider using 400-grit sandpaper to get the job done right.

5. Clean Up the Area. If there is a mess left behind, simply clean it up and remove the excess paint chips from the area.

6. Apply Non-Slip Coating. Apply a non-slip coating and use a latex brush to apply a thin coat directly to the diving board. Don’t cover the entire board in one coat because it might leave residual brush strokes when it starts to dry.

7. Let the Diving Board Coating Dry. As with any paint, take a break and allow it to dry for a few hours. Wait approximately 3 hours and touch the surface to test it. If dry, apply another light coat if you feel it is necessary. Wait another 3 hrs. and then apply another thin coat as needed.

8. Diving Board Step Safety. If your diving board steps or pool steps are slippery, it might be a good idea to consider applying a non-slip coating spray to them as well. These sprays dry quickly and enable you to control how much you want on a particular surface. If you have aluminum, concrete, or fiberglass steps, then your spray will differ for each type of material. It is crucial to keep this in mind for the safety of your family and your pool guests. Simply follow the steps above for fiberglass pool steps only.

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